Steno Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

I stopped the interview process after the 2nd round. It was a strange round of tech questions that felt like trivia rather than assessing actual technical skills. The questions were about Steno's tech but were too general and could be easily found with a search engine, not really testing technical ability.

The interview process was mainly composed of very confident individuals asking obscure technical questions. Instead of focusing on my background, coding, or allowing me to ask questions, the engineers preferred asking questions and even stated, "No one gets this one right. I just think it's fun to ask." This created a strong tech bro culture where they likely spent hours debating minor details instead of focusing on valuable work. Before I could even get to a stage where I could write code or work on a technical problem with them, they decided to ask me to continue the interview process at a lower level. They mentioned this is "common practice," and they often hire people at a level below and spend the first year helping them reach the level they originally applied for. Ironically, when I inquired about their "continuous learning" engineering environment, they had no examples or support options for professional development. It's clear this is a company that wants to undervalue engineers while offering them false hope. I declined further interviews.

The interview process was professional and well coordinated, but the technical screen relied heavily on rapid, checklist-style questions focused on recall rather than problem solving or design thinking. For a senior level role, a discussion based approach would better assess depth of experience, judgment, and real world application. This format can also disadvantage candidates who think differently, as quick recall under pressure doesn’t always reflect technical capability or creativity. Engaging, scenario-driven discussions tend to spark better insight and more authentic responses. Relying too much on rapid-fire questioning may also indicate an unconscious bias toward a particular communication style, which can subtly shape team culture and inclusivity.